Beyond the Sea
by Sita Masters
Summary: How I want Season 2 of Agents of SHIELD to go.
1. Chapter 1

Ward adjusted the bracelet on his wrist. He was a free man. Sort of. Popping in ear buds, he began his brisk jog around the park. Bright sun, cool breeze, ocean air… it wasn't right. He was in the open air. He was allowed to see the world.

That was perhaps the worst punishment. He was alone. There was nothing to support him. There were no orders. There was no family. There was no organization. It was just Grant Ward.

And the two joggers trailing him.

They weren't SHIELD. They weren't HYDRA. He couldn't place the training. They were keeping a fair distance but most decidedly watching him. One woman, a tall brunette with her hair pulled back into a short ponytail, her blue eyes on the grayer side of things, and one man, older than Ward, slightly shorter with balding gray hair and worn lines in his face. Sidestepping, he headed to a more secluded part of the trail and sure enough, the two followed, watching, not engaging.

Ward attempted to circle behind them, gain the upper hand. But a blackened SUV blocked his path, the two joggers coming up. "Please, Mr. Ward," the woman smiled. "Miranda would like to have a word with you."

The man opened the backseat, showing plush leather, but no one in there. "We insist," he grumbled.

Ward sighed and got in, the man and woman each taking a side in the back with him. The woman was still smiling, most likely the good cop in most scenarios. She handed him some water. "Since you're recent defection from SHIELD, your skills profile has made a bit of a round. Miranda liked what she saw."

Ward eyed the water. "My ID was erased."

The woman chuckled. "Nothing is ever erased."

The car lapped into silence as they drove. Maybe about ten miles, which meant they were still in the Seattle area. Once they stopped, the woman led Ward to a large, historic looking hotel. She waved brightly at the doorman before taking Ward by herself to the elevator. "I love this hotel," she mentioned as she pushed the button for the top floor.

Ward eyed her. She hadn't had an escort. That meant one of two things: Either they didn't realize how dangerous he was, or he didn't know how dangerous she was.

As the floors dinged in order, the woman took a deep breath. "Just answer her questions. Don't try to be cute or make small talk. Miranda just wants her questions answered."

"Who's Miranda?" Ward finally asked.

The woman smiled. "She's the madame."

Ward's brow furrowed. "What? You mean…"

"She runs an international escort service to every political big wig and influential person you could imagine." The woman smiled and as the doors opened, she led him into a room.

The office had a large oak desk with a stern looking blonde woman in a crisp suit seated behind it. On the floor was a large tarp of clear plastic. This was not a good sign. Another gentleman in a suit was standing on the plastic in front of the desk, glaring at Ward.

The blonde narrowed her eyes as the brunette led Ward to stand on the plastic. "Grant Ward, yes?" the blonde asked.

Ward gave a nod.

"I am Miranda. You've met Holly and this is Lloyd. Lloyd is my personal bodyguard. And he's coming to retirement. So, I need a replacement. According to your jacket, you have all the right training." Miranda pulled a gun from her desk and set it down. "I'm going to give you a chance to prove you're the man. Kill your predecessor."

Without hesitation, Ward grabbed the gun, turned on Lloyd and fired.

Click.

Ward frowned and looked at the gun. "Empty."

Beside him, Holly's whole persona shifted. She stood straighter, her smile more confident. "Thank you, Holly, Lloyd. You can go."

The blonde and the man went. It was a test.

"You're Miranda," Ward grinned. "Nice."

The real Miranda smiled. "You think I'd leave picking my personal bodyguard to the previous one?" She held out her hand. "Gun, please."

Ward handed it over. "You don't seem to need a bodyguard."

Miranda smiled and handed him a bottle of water. "Thank you. Most times, I don't think I do. But better safe than sorry." She took a swig of her own bottle.

"So, are you really a madame?"

Miranda nodded. "Yes. This job entails a lot of travel and watching my ass."

Ward couldn't help but let his eyes drift to her ass.

She noticed. "No. That's one thing that's not on the menu. If you require some release now and then, you're welcome to one of my girls. But I am never to be touched in that way. Are we clear?"

Ward's eyes snapped to her, in soldier mode again. "Yes, ma'am."

Miranda smiled. "Then let's begin. You'll need a good suit."

* * *

Ward was all smiles. On the arm of the beautiful Miranda, he looked the part of the perfect eye candy. Perhaps he was a model. Maybe she'd found him as an up and coming tennis player. Or maybe he was the heir to some big fortune 500 company. The point was, Grant Ward looked like he belonged there.

They were in Houston at some big fundraiser. Half of the men there were being escorted by Miranda's staff. And Ward had to admit, the women under her employ were indeed professional. They were poised, full of proper etiquette and grace.

Ward may have looked like a little spoiled brat, smiling and sipping champagne on the arm of a beautiful woman, but he was scouting the entire room. The security was your typical rent-a-cop. He thought he recognized one as a former SHIELD agent. Guess they all had to earn money somehow.

Miranda led him aside. "There's a safe here that I have to get into. You're good at improv, right?"

Ward didn't get a chance to answer as she fainted into his arms. The ruse. He whisked her into his arms, finding a guard. "Sir, is there a bed I could rest her in? The champagne…"

The guard nodded and led them upstairs to the restricted area, unlocking one of the rooms and motioning. "Here. But not too long." He turned and left.

At the sound of the door closing, Miranda's eyes opened. "Not bad." She got up, straightening her dress and grinning. "This is even next door to where I need." She opened her clutch, taking out a small compact. The design looked familiar to Ward but he couldn't quite place is as green lights lit up on the mirror. "I'm in." Miranda wasn't speaking to him, though. "You have ten minutes to run the patch."

"I didn't know that you had other operations going on," Ward commented.

"You don't have to know everything." Miranda smiled. "There's information here. Highly profitable. And I have buyers lining up."

Ward glanced at the compact. "That's some high tech."

She smiled. "It should be. My friends have the most brilliant engineers on the planet." She stopped, listening. "Affirmative." She looked to Ward and snapped the compact shut. "We're clear. We can enjoy the party for about an hour, then hit transport."

* * *

Miranda excused herself to the ladies room, locking the door behind her and pulling out the special earpiece from her bra, tucking it into her ear. "You there?"

"I'm here," Coulson replied. "How are the crepes there?"

"There are no crepes, Phil. This is a fundraiser. There's caviar and other fake fancy food."

He chuckled some. "The intel you found is helpful. Thank you."

"Anytime."

Coulson was hesitating. "How is he?"

"Damaged. A bit of a shell. You were right, though. He's never really let himself become anything other than a soldier. He keeps grasping to orders."

"I feel a little better knowing the orders are coming from you."

"Aww, you flirt."

Coulson was smiling. She knew it without seeing him. "I should let you get back to the party."

"Wish you were here. You still owe me a dance."

"I'll collect on that in time."

* * *

Skye poked at her fries some. Simmons frowned at her friend. It had been three weeks since they found out Ward had been released and Skye was not taking it well.

"You still have to eat," Simmons urged.

Skye nodded. "I am." She wasn't. Ward had been set loose with just one of those bracelets. Coulson had assured her it was safe but she couldn't believe him. Ward was a monster.

And he was walking across the street.

Skye gasped, not believing her eyes. He hadn't seen them there in the McDonald's. He was heading into a dry cleaners like a normal person.

Simmons followed her eyes and her jaw dropped. "Is that…"

Skye nodded. "It's Ward." She got up, grabbing her laptop bag and throwing it over her shoulder. "I'm going to talk to him."

Simmons stood. "No! That's bad. Very bad."

Skye shook her head. "Don't make me call you out on the manscaping thing."

Simmons paused. "Ten minutes."

* * *

Ward paid the ticket for his suit. Miranda had given him three very nice Italian suits and he was ordered to take care of them. Hooking the hangers on his fingers, he tossed the suit over his shoulder, turned around, and froze.

Skye stood there with her arms crossed. "Hey."

Ward took a deep breath. "Hey…"

"Dry cleaning. Pressing the evil out of wool?"

Ward sighed, his shoulders drooping some. "Skye, please. I'm trying to get things back in order, okay?"

"Oh, so all those innocent people you killed?"

"I know that people died. I know you think I'm a soulless monster."

Skye rolled her eyes. "And you've mastered stating the obvious."

A woman's voice spoke up from the doorway. "And you've mastered being a bitch." Miranda was there, her blue eyes focused hard on Skye. "Who is this?"

Ward took a deep breath. "Skye, this is Miranda, Miranda, this is Skye."

Miranda stepped closer. "Skye. And what do you do?"

"I'm with SHIELD." Skye held her own no problem.

"Oh, you mean that shattered little sad excuse of a spy agency?" Miranda laughed. "Come, Grant. We have reservations for lunch."

Ward looked between the two women, a little torn. He hadn't seen Skye in so long. But with a sigh, he followed Miranda. "Goodbye, Skye."

* * *

May pulled her hair back and took a deep breath. She stood in the middle of the lounge on the Bus and closed her eyes as she took her first stance.

"You've been doing Tai Chi a lot more," Coulson pointed out as he walked up behind her. "This wouldn't have to do with my decision, would it?"

May didn't even bother to open her eyes. She started her movements.

"I know you don't trust Ward. I know you wanted him into the Bookcase." Coulson sat nearby, watching her. "If it comes down to it, he will be. But he deserves this chance."

May sighed heavily, paused, and started her movements from the beginning again.

"It's a civilian gig. This way at least, he's not put into a killing field. He's protecting Miranda from senators and debutants," Coulson reasoned.

A second sigh hit May because once again, she had to start over.

"I know. I know. He can still do harm internationally." Coulson rubbed his temple. "But I trust Miranda. She's not on any side but her own which means she's bluntly honest."

May stopped, dropping her arms. "Phil… Miranda is a wild card."

Coulson blinked, seriously surprised she'd spoken. "I didn't know how familiar you were with her."

May sipped some water. "I've ran into her before. In London."

"Ran into?"

"She was at a party. I was there to retrieve a piece of evidence. She seemed to want the same thing."

Coulson grinned. "How did that go?"

"Like I said, she's a wild card. And putting Ward with a wild card…"

"Will hopefully help him think for himself," Coulson finished for her.

* * *

Miranda glanced at Ward over her iced tea. "So, are we going to talk about that girl?"

Ward settled back into the couch with a sigh. "Nothing to talk about. She's SHIELD."

Miranda tucked her legs under herself. "She's more than that, isn't she? I saw that look in her eyes. You two were a thing."

Ward sipped on his beer. "No. We almost were."

"HYDRA?"

He nodded. "I tried to make her see that it wasn't about HYDRA. I was never in it for the whole 'true believer' thing." He stared at the bottle. "I'm assuming since you knew who I was, you know about my family."

She shrugged. "Cliff notes."

"John Garrett found me. In juvie." Ward took another swig of the beer. "You know, before he let me go, Coulson said that I was going to have to live with knowing that I don't even know who I am."

Miranda grinned. "Yeah. But nobody really does." She paused. "Grant, you know that you work for me, but it doesn't mean I own you. This is like a real job. You get paid for what you do then you go about your life."

"I don't have a life, Miss Miranda. I have a duty. To you."

"Drop the 'Miss' and stop it." She sighed. "Step at a time, Grant." She stood. "I'm going to bed. In the morning, I want you to make a list of three things you enjoy. Not things that other people wanted you to do."


	2. Chapter 2

Simmons changed out the IV bag. It was routine. She gave a heavy sigh, brushing some hair back off of Fitz's forehead. He still hadn't woken. But his vitals were strong. Every day, she came in to see him.

"Jemma," Coulson spoke softly from the doorway.

Simmons glanced over, giving a small smile. "Sir."

Coulson gave a nod. "Still doing well?"

She nodded. "Yes. His body's just taking the time to sleep. It's good for healing."

He knew that she was repeating that statement more for herself. "I'd like you to do an undercover op."

Her eyes snapped to him. "Me? Sir, is that wise?"

He held out a file. "I want you to check in on Ward."

Simmons took a step back, not touching the file. "No."

"You're the only one I trust to be able to handle this. You're strong, your practical, and you haven't beaten him half to death or fallen in love with him." Coulson sighed. "I just want you to go talk to him some. See how he reacts. Pretend you're just running into him."

"Sir, I really…"

"Jemma, please…"

She hated when he used his first name.

* * *

Ward looked like crap run over twice when Miranda knocked on his motel door. "Jesus, Grant…" she blinked. "Did you sleep at all?"

He groaned and opened the door, letting her in. The room smelled of scotch and fast food. "Some, I think…"

She frowned. "What happened?" she asked softly, carefully stepping over to the bed and sitting.

"Three damn things." Ward motioned to a paper on his nightstand. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't think of three."

Miranda picked up the paper. He had two things on there. "Board games." Then there was a bunch scribbled out. Then, in much sloppier handwriting, he'd written "Skye."

The corner of Miranda's mouth turned up. "You love her."

Ward flopped back on the bed. "She's the only thing I could think of that I wanted for myself." He covered his face with his hands.

"And board games," Miranda shrugged. "So, there's a start. Tell me, when you think about Skye, what do you feel?"

Ward dropped his hands and sighed, closing his eyes. "I feel a wave of warmth."

Miranda smiled. "That's love, Grant." She stood. "Let's go get some breakfast at the diner."

* * *

She could do this. She was so much stronger than she'd been when she first got into the field. Simmons walked into the diner and right up to Grant Ward. "Hello," she said curtly.

Ward blinked. "Simmons…"

Miranda glanced up. "Miss?"

Simmons gave a nod to Miranda. "Jemma Simmons, SHIELD."

"Miranda. Nice to meet you." She narrowed her eyes. "Is there a problem, Agent?"

Simmons nodded. "You're sitting with a known murdering, traitorous bastard," she spat out.

Ward made no expression, just closed his eyes some.

But Miranda's expression hardened. "And a gentleman. As for your company, Agent Simmons, you are a rude spiteful woman. And your company is not needed."

Simmons looked at her in surprise, but turned to Ward. "You're not even going to ask how Fitz is, are you?"

Ward opened his eyes but focused on Miranda.

Miranda gave a slight nod. "Agent, remove yourself from our presence or I'll remove you."

* * *

It had been two weeks since Miranda had told Ward to make that list. Since then, he hadn't been called on for any real specific assignment. She was in and out of business meetings in several states. Now they were in New York. And Ward was again left to his own devices for the day.

Why was it so hard?

Ward stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jacket, glancing up at the marquis on the theater. He hadn't seen a movie in the theater in a long time. Maybe this was something that could help get him out of his funk. He sadly paid for a solo ticket, half wondering what it would be like to take Skye on a date like this.

Popcorn with extra butter was high on his list. Along with a box of peanut M&M's. Once in his seat, he mixed the two together. Sweet and salty. Like Skye.

She was the one thing still on his mind. He couldn't help it. Sure, he thought about Fitzsimmons, or May. Hell, he even thought about Coulson now and then, wondering how they all were. But his one forethought was always Skye.

Glancing to his left, he frowned.

Natasha Romanoff flopped into the seat next to him, propping her feet up on the seat in front of her. "Did you get extra butter?"

Ward's eyes narrowed. "Did you get the termination order?" He'd often wondered if that was coming.

She shook her head, snagging some popcorn. "No, but Maria told me your little quip about me being eye candy."

He'd known that was going to bite him in the ass. "Well, she does have a big mouth." He shifted in his seat, making sure that he would be able to move if she attacked. To be honest, he thought he could take her. But they both really had nothing to lose.

"I'll let her know you said that." Natasha glanced to him. "I'm not here to hurt you, Ward."

"Then let's just cut to it. I don't want to miss the previews."

She looked positively amused. "You and me, we're not so different."

He rolled his eyes. "Top of the game, blah blah…"

She shook her head. "Brainwashed by father figures."

Ward stiffened.

"Garrett made you into the perfect spy. I am one of maybe… six people who can relate to that in this entire world."

"And you're here to tell me how it gets better and I'm a good man if I want to be?"

She shook her head, taking more popcorn. "Not really. I'm here to see if you're worth giving a chance." She looked to him. "You have a lot of red of your ledger, Ward. The questions is, do you want to make it right?"

"It doesn't matter what I want."

She watched him. "That's Garrett's words coming out of your mouth."

"I can speak for myself," Ward snapped defensively.

"Can you?" She nodded down, diverting his gaze that way.

He was clenching his fist so hard his knuckles were white.

"Let's watch the movie," she suggested. "Then we'll talk more."

"You want to talk to me."

"Beats another congressional hearing."

* * *

New York diners were cliche. Which made this one the perfect spot for the two spies to have a meal together. Natasha got a reuben. Ward took pastrami on rye. She hadn't spoken hardly two words. She was relaxed, taking in the surroundings out of habit, he assumed. But it appeared she was going to make him take the first steps.

"So, red on the ledger," Ward sighed.

Natasha nodded, sipping her root beer. "Yup." She popped the "p" at the end of the word as it's own punctuation. "Red that's done under orders." She settled back in the booth. "Your kills… all Garrett's call, really."

Ward was getting really sick of everything coming back on Garrett. But then again, he couldn't deny it. "Yes."

"Even Agent Hand?"

He hesitated. "I did it for Garrett, but it wasn't an order, per say."

The corner of her mouth turned up. "After a while, they don't have to say the orders out loud for you to know what you have to do." She picked out a fry and dipped it in ketchup. "Did you enjoy killing those people."

He gave a shake of his head. It hadn't been about enjoyment at all. It was what he had to do, so he did it.

"And are you enjoying working for hookers?" Natasha had a grin on her face.

He sighed. "Miranda isn't a hooker."

"Miranda," she parroted. "So you're on a first name basis."

He paused. "I don't know her last name."

"Interesting. I know more about her than you do." Natasha gave a wink and finished her sandwich. "Well, here's my offer. I'm here to talk to when you need to. If you want to. But I'm not going to waste my time with a lost cause." She tossed him a card. "Here's my cell."


	3. Chapter 3

"This assignment is going to be a tough one." Miranda laid out a tablet. "A couple of my girls have been reporting something suspicious in our London house. Possible abuse as well." She was heated but still poised. "You and I are going to stop it. No one treats my girls like that."

Ward had to admit, for ruling over such a questionable business, Miranda's morals and ethics were tight. She had rules and never strayed from them at all. Her rules were a part of her.

She was really her own person. Something Ward wasn't.

London reminded him of Fitzsimmons. He really didn't want to go.

All the plane ride over, he could feel Romanoff's card in his suit pocket. Why were people willing to help him? He'd let his weaknesses get the better of him. He was alone. He didn't deserve to be saved.

Because Skye still saw him as a monster.

"You're tense," Miranda noted, stating the obvious. "Is there something I should know?"

Ward paused. She encouraged him being open with her. She said it was to pass the time. "Just thinking about a run-in I had earlier."

"Oh?"

Ward gave a cliff notes version. "So I have that card here. And I'm wondering what it really means."

Miranda nodded. "It means that not everyone has given up on you. But have you given up on yourself?"

He stopped. Had he? "I don't think so."

"But you don't know," Miranda nodded. "I think this time away from everything will be good for you."

* * *

Ward dialed the number, taking a deep breath. He could do this.

"Hello?" Skye's voice was bright.

He took a deep breath. "Skye…"

There was a long pause. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to tell you that I know it's going to take a lot but… I'm trying."

"Try this, ass." Click.

Ward bit back the growl in his throat before dialing the second number.

"Well, well," Natasha mused as she answered. "Took you long enough."

"Look, I don't know what you think you know about me or what you think you can do for me but I have to fix this for-" He cut off. He didn't want to drag Skye's name in.

"For..?" she pressed.

"For something important." It was true. Ward knew that Skye's parents had been monsters. He knew she was going to need him. Because he understood that side. But to do that, he was going to need to understand the good side of things, too.

"And you think this is like, a training regiment?" Natasha snorted. "Red doesn't just wash away because you pick up some cleaner. You have to work at it and want it removed. A spot at a time."

"I get that, just tell me what to do."

Her tone changed. "No. Because that's the first thing. You have to let go of those orders. You were always told how to think. Becoming yourself starts there. Call me when you have an original thought." Click.

Two women hanging up on him in one hour. Yeah. This was oh so fun.

* * *

Skye drummed her fingers on the table. She couldn't get the image of that brunette out of her mind. "So, she's like… a pimp?"

Coulson sighed and shook his head. "She's the owner of an international escort service."

"A pimp."

"Skye…"

"You got a pimp to hire Ward as her bodyguard."

"It's not that simple."

"He's getting a pass to the Playboy Bunny House for being Hydra!"

Coulson let his eyes narrow a little. "Skye, Miranda does not own the Playboy mansion."

Skye stood, pacing. "You should have seen it. She says 'jump' and he says 'how high.' It's just Garrett all over again!"

"It's not. Miranda is the opposite of Garrett. She's about freedom and passion and…" Coulson trailed off as Skye stopped pacing. "What?"

"You totally boned her!"

Coulson let out a heavy sigh. "Miranda is a friend. She helped me out with an artifact in Greece once. She has the type of personality that lets people see who they really are."

Skye thought about it. "What if Ward really is just a soulless killer?"

* * *

_"I know you care about us, Ward!"_

_"You're right. I do. And it's a weakness."_

Ward sat up with a gasp, drenched in sweat. He could still see the disbelief on Fitz's face when the pod slipped out. He saw the look of horror. The look of betrayal. And he'd deserved it.

Throwing back the sheet, Ward swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up, putting his face in his hands. If it was one thing he hated about this new job, it was all the soul searching crap Miranda had him doing. Why couldn't she just let him do the job and leave it at that? He grabbed his jeans off the floor and hopped into them before throwing open the drapes. The bright sun didn't do much to warm him.

He turned to the soft knock at the door. Somehow, she always knew when he was awake. "It's unlocked," he called out.

Miranda slipped on in, dressed in slacks and a blouse. She must have had a meeting to go to. "Morning. Sleep well?" She glanced at the bed, a mess of tangled sheets. "That's a no."

Ward rolled his eyes. "What's on the schedule today?"

She plopped onto the small sofa. "Meeting with a cardinal. Three of my girls took sanctuary with the clergy, if you can believe that." She watched him. "I think you should go sightseeing today."

That was the last straw. Ward turned to her, face hard. "What is this? You didn't hire me to be your little arm candy bodyguard, did you?"

Miranda didn't blink an eye. "I did. Doesn't mean I don't get to take a side interest."

"I'm not some little toy you get to just play with. I'm a person, Miranda."

"All of us are toys, Grant. You toyed with SHIELD. My clients toy with me. It's life. The only difference is how we choose to react to it. And by your reaction, it's not the game that's messing with you, it's the results." She stood, stepping up to him. "You're finding your soul."

Ward kept his eyes locked on hers. "I'm finding weakness."

She shook her head. "No. Feelings are not a weakness. They're what motivates us to become a part of something bigger."

_"One man can accomplish anything once he realizes he's a part of something bigger."_

Ward took a deep breath, recalling what he'd heard spoken several times. Maybe, just maybe he was ready to hear those words, really hear them.

Miranda kept his eyes with hers. "It's okay to be angry. And it's okay to be scared. It's how we use those emotions that matters."

He gave a little nod. She was right. Actions did matter.

"Grant? Say something." Miranda gave a small grin.

Ward's eyes glanced to her lips and he stepped back. "You should go to your meeting. I'll see you at dinner."


	4. Chapter 4

_"Somewhere… beyond the sea… somewhere… waiting for me…"_

Ward kept one arm tight around Miranda, swimming hard with the other away from the wreckage. He had to get them to land. He had to get them away from the wreckage before it sucked them down with it.

It was an hour of hard swimming before he was able to wrench Miranda's unconscious body onto the shore. He laid her on her back, checking for a pulse. It was there and the slight rise and fall of her chest was a good sign. He flopped back beside her and closed his eyes, trying to catch his breath. His muscles screamed at him from exertion.

The pilot and co-pilot were dead. The engine had given out and the water landing had been too hard to keep the plane in one piece.

Miranda groaned as she came to. Ward forced himself to sit up, looking to her. "Miranda, are you okay?"

She opened her eyes and nodded. "Yeah. I'm okay."

Ward sat up some. "We need to get in the shade." His body hurt but he still managed to his feet. "Can you stand?"

She nodded. "Yeah." She stood. "Can you?" She took his arm and put it over her shoulders. "Let me help."

He was hesitant, but let her help him into the trees. "We were almost to Columbia from what I saw before we crashed."

"By the lack of noise, we missed it." She set him gently down once they were under cover.

Ward grinned. "Don't worry." He held up his wrist, bracelet gleaming.

* * *

Coulson called all the team back to the bus. Well, all but Fitz, who was still in the medical unit. Once gathered at the com, he took a deep breath. "There was a plane crash a ways off the coast of Columbia. Two survivors are on a small island just east. I want us to get them."

May crossed her arms. "What aren't you telling us?"

"One of the survivors is Ward."

Triplett took a step back. "You've got to be kidding me."

Skye shook her head. "No. Hell no."

"I can't let Miranda die out there," Coulson insisted.

"You can send another plane," May countered.

"We're going." Coulson shook his head. "That's final. Get ready to land us in Columbia and we'll boat out from there."

* * *

Miranda was shaking after the sun set. Ward glanced over at her. "Want a fire?" he asked.

She grinned. "Sounds romantic."

He rolled his eyes and started gathering any dry materials he could find.

"It was a joke, Grant. Learn to laugh a little." She hugged her arms, shivering to stay warm.

Ward found a way to get a spark going and lit the dry brush before moving to her. "Hypothermia isn't a joke." He took off his jacket and shirt and pulled her into his arms.

She tensed some. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"Using my body heat to keep you warm." He held her tight. Her body was almost an icicle.

Reluctantly, she relaxed, curling up to him. "Oh."

"I didn't forget your only rule." He grinned a little.

"Good. Because it still stands." Her shivering slowed.

"It's a good rule. Doesn't complicate things."

"Sex isn't complicated, Grant."

"It's intimacy."

"It's physical bodies doing what they were made to do. The true intimacy is letting someone into your heart." Miranda looked up into his eyes. "Like you did with that girl."

_Skye._

Ward closed his eyes and looked away. "Get some rest. Rescue team is usually travel by night. We'll see them in the morning."

* * *

May found them first. Of course she did. Ward, bare chested and cradling the beautiful brunette in his arms as they slept near the smoldering embers of a fire.

She took in the sight. He looked at peace, protecting her. It was his instinct to have a purpose. To put himself in a line of fire.

May cleared her throat.

Ward woke, putting Miranda behind him immediately. "May?"

"They're here," she called out as Miranda woke.

Triplett and Coulson made their way through the brush. "In one piece," Coulson nodded.

Ward stood. "Sir."

Coulson shook his head. "You're not an agent anymore, Ward. No need to stand of formality."

Miranda rubbed her eyes. "Phil?"

Simmons arrived next, going past Ward to Miranda. "Are you well?"

Miranda nodded. "Just a little worn. Beat up from the landing."

Simmons put a hand to her head. "You're a bit clammy. We should get you to the plane as soon as possible to run a few checks."

Miranda nodded, standing.

Ward looked to Coulson. "Am I swimming back?"

Coulson watched him. "If certain people had their way, yes, you would."

* * *

Skye hadn't been on the boat. But she was in the cargo bay when the team arrived back with Miranda and Ward. Skye didn't even realize she'd been holding her breath. She watched as Simmons led Miranda to the lab. Coulson and Triplett flanked Ward. But he wasn't in cuffs.

Skye felt her heart stop as Ward lifted his eyes to hers.

Coulson and Triplett headed back upstairs, May in tow, but not Ward. He stopped, keeping her eyes. "Skye."

Hearing his voice brought all the anger to the surface again. "Ward." She steeled herself.

He stepped closer. "I know this isn't really what you had in mind."

"Saving Miranda? We do that. We're the good guys."

Ward closed his mouth for a moment. He'd had that one coming. "Well, once we're back in the States, I'm sure your good deed will come with a mighty high reward."

Skye stepped forward. "You should know about rewards. Living your little luxury life now."

He paused. "Is that what you think I'm doing?"

"You're traveling the world as arm candy for a high priced whore."

His fists clenched. "Don't call her that."

"So tell me, how is she?"

Ward rolled his eyes, fists releasing. "That just shows how little you really know." He turned away.

Skye grabbed his arm. "Do you even care, Ward? That Fitz is still in the hospital? That Simmons could never trust you? That I…"

He turned to her. "That you what, Skye?" He looked at her hand on his arm. "That you could never realize that my feelings-"

"If you say your feelings for me are real, I'm going to throw a book at you."

"They are."

Skye looked around. "Damnit. No book."


	5. Chapter 5

The bus felt different to Ward now. He wasn't a part of this team. He wasn't a part of this… family. He looked at the new glass in the lounge, the SHIELD logo back into place. He'd betrayed that logo. But then again, he allegiance wasn't to any logo, SHIELD or HYDRA. It had been to Garrett.

And now all that was gone. Garrett was dead.

So who had his loyalty now?

He made his way over to the bar, pulling out some Scotch and a glass.

"Make it two."

He looked up, a little surprised to see May there. But he just gave a nod and pulled out another glass.

May watched him some, but didn't speak.

It was something he loved and hated about her. "So, you held back in our last fight. You wanna get it all out?"

May took the drink and shook her head. "Not yet. Not here." She sipped the drink.

"Yeah. Coulson just got his plane back together."

* * *

Skye slipped into the lab where Miranda was on a stretcher. The woman was awake and glancing at a phone. She looked up when the younger girl came in. "Skye," she nodded.

Skye closed the door behind her. "Miranda."

She smiled. "That's me." She motioned. "Have a seat."

Skye nodded and did. "You look well."

"Just a little dehydrated."

"You didn't get a sunburn. That's a bonus."

"Grant made sure to get my to the shade."

Skye shifted. _Grant_. "Yeah. That's what you pay him to do."

Miranda shook her head. "No. He did it because it was the right thing to do." She paused. "You really think he's that big an asshole, don't you?"

Skye shrugged. "He's Hydra."

"No, he was Garrett's. There's a difference."

Skye paused for a moment. "Garrett was Hydra."

"Correct. And Garrett knew what Hydra could do. Grant knew that the man who got him out of Hell on Earth told him to keep that secret." Miranda leaned close. "If Phil told you to keep a secret, to act in front of all others a certain way, then you would. Because he's like a father to you."

Skye took a step back. "It's not the same. Coulson would never put me into something evil like that."

"Perhaps Grant thought the same about Garrett."

Skye found Ward sitting in the lounge with a book. The first time she'd seen him like that was after he'd taken a bullet in Peru. Things were easier then. They knew who the enemy was.

He didn't look up. "Say what you need to."

She took a deep breath and sat across from him. "I'm not forgiving you."

"Didn't ask you to."

"Do you even care?"

Ward closed the book, finally looking up at her. "I told you how I really felt and you wouldn't believe me. So why ask again? My answer isn't changing."

Miranda came in, her steps slow, still healing up.

Ward immediately stood, going to her side. "Did Simmons release you?"

She shrugged. "Kind of."

Skye backed off, watching the way the two interacted. Was this another one of his acts? The way he looked at Miranda…

He sat Miranda down on a sofa, gentle with her. Kind. "I'll get you some water."

She gave a nod and glanced to Skye. "He means it, you know. He's always been honest with you."

Skye shook her head. "Stay out of it." She marched off to her bunk.

Ward came back with the water, glancing around. "What happened to Skye?"

Miranda shook her head. "Don't worry about it." She took a sip of the water. "Phil said he'd get us back to the states without a problem. I'll charter a plane from there."

"How do you know Coulson?"

She grinned. "I've met him a couple times. SHIELD always has me on their radar."

"Did he know I was working for you?"

She shrugged. "Probably. I don't know. I didn't really know I had to keep that radar closed."

He sat beside her. "Did he tell you to hire me?"

Miranda shook her head. "I haven't talked to him in years."

Something inside Ward calmed. Miranda really was there to listen to him. She really was there to help him.

* * *

Skye knocked on Coulson's door. "Hey, you got a second?"

Coulson nodded, setting his work aside. "Of course."

She glanced over all the shelves, the relics, the collectables. Gently, her fingers trailed over them. The past. Things that remained. But what was remaining in Ward?

"Skye?" Coulson stood. "Are you okay?"

She glanced over to him. "Sorry, spaced." She sat. "I just talked to him some."

He sat back down. "And how did that go?"

She fidgeted with her rings. She hadn't done that in a while. "Do you think he knows? That you had something to do with Miranda?"

"If he does, it's not going to make a difference. Miranda is good at what she does."

"She manipulates people."

"She helps them dig out their true selves."

Skye looked to Coulson, taking a deep breath. "We have to wonder if what she digs up is going to be good or evil."


	6. Chapter 6

"What? What do you mean we're staying here a while?" Ward clenched a fist to keep from snapping at her.

Miranda shook her head. "Phil needs my help on something."

"Oh what?"

"It's classified." Miranda grinned, knowing it would annoy him.

"Classified?" Ward paced some in the cargo bay. They had landed in Florida and were restocking. "You deal in-"

"In secrets and obtain them," she finished for him. "Look, it'll be a week, tops. We'll just have to share that empty bunk."

"With all due respect…"

"I'm going to give you $500 to go get us clothes. Take one of Phil's people with you." Miranda grinned. "Maybe Skye?"

He glared at her.

* * *

Coulson decided he was going to need a new lock on his office. Simmons came right on in. "Sir, I must protest this."

He sighed and sat back. "Simmons, I know this is going to be a bit awkward…"

"I do understand that Miss Miranda's services are needed for this particular assignment but Ward-"

"Is her bodyguard. She insisted that he be along side her."

"May could-"

"No."

"But-"

"No."

Simmons pressed her lips together. "Fitz is coming on this mission and I don't know what effect it'll have on him."

Coulson took a deep breath. He'd thought about that, too. "I'm sure Fitz will be able to handle it just fine."

* * *

Skye held her breath as Fitz made his way to the cargo bay. He had a limp now. It was slight, but she noticed it. And he was favoring his arm slightly. She plastered on her brightest smile even though part of her was screaming to tell him not to be here. She didn't want him to have to face Ward so soon.

Fitz grinned and hugged her as he approached. She clung slightly, still not quite believing that he was alive.

May and Simmons were there, too, each one taking a turn to hug him. Simmons had seen him the previous day to approve his physical ability to be back on the Bus.

Coulson came down the steps with Tripplett on his heels. The men gave manly half-hugs and smiles. The family was back together on the Bus.

The whole family.

"Fitz, I'd like to have a word with you in my office before we hit the air," Coulson motioned.

Fitz nodded, a little curious. As he ascended the stairs, he tensed. The last time that he was there, he confronted Garrett, ran with Simmons and was dumped in the ocean by…

Fitz froze on the spot as Ward rounded the corner with a bottle of water.

Coulson muttered under his breath. He'd been hoping to prep Fitz. "Mr. Ward, mind moving aside?"

Ward couldn't look at Fitz but did step aside.

Fitz still wasn't moving.

Coulson put a gentle hand on his arm. "Fitz."

Fitz took a deep breath and gave a small nod, following Coulson the rest of the way to his office.

Ward brought the bottle of water to Miranda, his whole body electrified with the tension of seeing Fitz.

She glanced up. "Grant?"

He shook his head. "Sorry. Just a little distracted."

She took the water. "By?"

"Fitz is here. And the last time I saw him, it wasn't on good terms."

"What terms were those?"

Ward sighed and sat on the small bed in the bunk. Reluctantly, he told her the details of his betrayal.

Miranda listened with barely a change in her facial expression. "Now that you've seen him again, with all that's happened, how do you feel?"

Ward shook his head. "I don't know. I know he trusted me. He put his life in my hands. Hell, he even talked to me about things and treated me like… a brother."

"You didn't have such a good relationship with siblings."

Ward's face hardened slightly. "That's true."

"Do you think that the reason seeing Fitz like this is harder because of that?"

"It could be. But I have to compartmentalize that."

Miranda rolled her eyes. "You have GOT to be kidding me."

He looked to her. "Excuse me?"

"You don't have to compartmentalize anything, Grant. You're a person. You have value as a friend. And you have the right to learn from your mistakes and be forgiven."

* * *

"I'm not forgiving him!" Fitz was livid. There were two things he had seen over and over while he was in a coma. He saw Jemma screaming to him, and he saw Ward's face as the med pod was dumped into the ocean.

"I'm not asking you to forgive him, Fitz. I just need you to be civil." Coulson put a hand on the younger agent's shoulder. "He's not on this mission. He's just Miranda's bodyguard. He won't have access to anything."

"He'll have access to us! He's a bloody Hydra spy!"

"He was, yes. But Miranda said-"

"Miranda can kiss my bloody arse!"

Coulson rubbed his brow, squeezing his eyes shut. "I'm sorry, Fitz. I really am. I just want to get this assignment over with."

* * *

Simmons was hovering. She hated to feel like this. She didn't know what to do to help Fitz through this. She'd known it was too soon for this. He wasn't ready.

As he came down from the office, she moved over his way. "Fitz…"

He grinned a little. "I'm okay, Jemma." He took her hand and gave it a small squeeze.

Ward came out to the lounge, stopping at the sight of the two agents. "I was just grabbing a book."

Fitz's eyes steeled. "Oh, that's all?"

"Fitz…" Simmons warned.

Ward sighed. "Fitz, what I did was wrong, and I know that. I was under orders. It's not an excuse but it's why I did it."

"Oh, well, if that's the case, then!" Fitz threw his hands in the air. "Then that just makes it all better!" He limped towards the kitchen.

Ward's eyes followed his leg. "Did your leg break?"

"Nerve damage," Simmons whispered.

Ward felt a pang in his chest. "Oh."

May came up with Skye from the cargo bay, stopping to glance at the scene before them. As Coulson descended the stairs, the old team was finally completely reassembled.

Ward looked around, memories flooding his mind. He'd betrayed them for a man that was possessed with his own self worth. This had been a family. This had been what he threw aside.

The whole room echoed with silence. The air was so thick it took extra effort for Ward to push the air out of his lungs.

The soft closing of a door brought everyone's eyes to Miranda. She slipped into the middle of the room and took in the sight. "All of you… you have so much emotion about this very moment. And no amount of words will ever relay the hurt, the pain, the sheer betrayal you all feel. But now isn't the time for this. Now is a time to start a mission. One that will help wounds begin to heal."

There was something about her voice. Skye couldn't place it but the air changed. Something was lighter. Simmons felt her shoulders sag as they relaxed. Fitz unclenched his fists. May and Coulson glanced at each other and Ward glanced at Miranda.

Who exactly was this woman?


	7. Chapter 7

Miranda slipped into Lola's passenger seat. In the cool of the night, the leather interior was chilled. Coulson slipped into the driver's seat and pulled out into the moonlit city of Miami. Neither spoke until they had driven at least ten miles.

"He's struggling," Coulson finally broke the silence.

"He's progressing," Miranda countered. Her eyes were closed, hair billowing back in the breeze of the drive. "He's letting himself start to feel. Something that was denied to him for years as a mere puppet to others."

Coulson took a deep breath. "It's affecting my team."

"I should hope so. If it didn't, they'd be in the same boat as Grant."

"I don't like putting them through this."

"I understand that, Phil. But if they knew what we were doing, then it would all be for nothing." Miranda put her hand on his. "It's going to be okay. It's going to show us who he really is."

* * *

Ward hung back a few car lengths. Miranda had thought that she'd slipped out of the bunk without waking him, but the master spy had detected her movements and knew something was up. When she left with Coulson, his suspicions were confirmed. He took one of the SUV's and followed.

Ward was a little surprised when they simply ended up at the beach, parked. He didn't see Coulson as the type to go parking with a girl. He parked down the block and crept out to get as close as he could. But the bare shoreline didn't give much cover.

Although, he could fit under Lola...

* * *

"When you called me, what did you say?" Miranda stretched her arms above her head and yawned some.

"I said that the belief that drives us all is the same, whether it's one man or all mankind, that they're worth saving." Coulson sighed and slumped back in his seat as he watched the waves. "Maybe I was just reciting a line."

"Or maybe the things we believe truly stick with us." She shrugged. "The truth is, Phil, is that you really do, on some level, care about this man."

"But does that mean I should endanger the team?"

"You're not putting them in danger. You know that if I thought he was a threat, I would take care of it."

Coulson relaxed a little. "That's true."

* * *

_"You know that if I thought he was a threat, I would take care of it."_

Ward had heard enough. Enough to know that he had work to do. He rolled out from under Lola and made his way back to the SUV. Pulling out his cell, he took a deep breath and dialed.

"This had better be important," Romanoff groaned, obviously woken from a good sleep.

"I give up. Who's Miranda?"

"Ward?"

"No, that's me. Try again."

He could hear her roll her eyes. "Miranda is a madame."

"Yeah, I get that. But what else is she?"

Romanoff hesitated. "I'll get you the file."

* * *

May was at the bar when Coulson came back up. "Three AM joyride?" she queried.

Coulson tossed his jacket aside. "Couldn't sleep."

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Neither could Miranda, I take it?"

"I'm going to bed."

"Are you having sex with her?"

Coulson stopped in his tracks, sighing heavily. "No, I'm not. Why is that the first thing people think when I bring a Madame on the Bus? Is it the irony? Or does everyone think I just really really need-"

"It's the trust you have in her," May interrupted.

"That has nothing to do with sex." Coulson sat next to her. "You trust me. I trust her."

May gave a small snort. "So, by that logic, I should trust her?"

"You should give it a try."

"We've seen what happens trusting people."

Coulson nodded. "Yeah. Both sides of it. But if I had just trusted you the whole time, I could have come out with less scars on this team."

* * *

Ward read the file three times. It didn't make sense. No sense at all. But Romanoff's intel couldn't be refuted. He turned off his tablet as Skye walked into the kitchen. "Morning," he offered.

Skye hesitated but nodded. "Morning."

It was a start, and that made his heart warm ever so slightly.

Coulson came down next, looking like he'd had a full night's sleep when Ward knew he hadn't. "Coffee done?" he asked the room.

Ward nodded. "Yeah, I made a pot. Sleep well last night?"

Coulson gave a nod without a hesitation. "Yeah. You?"

"Sort of."

"Not the plush mattress you were used to at Casa de Miranda?" Skye asked.

Ward groaned inside. "So, this thing you need Miranda's help for, is it going to take long?"

Coulson shrugged. "That depends on what Miranda finds for us."

"What is she looking for?"

"That's classified _Mr._ Ward."

Ward's eyes narrowed slightly. If he hadn't heard what Coulson and Miranda had discussed, he would have walked. But they cared. Actually cared. And while he didn't understand it, he wanted to see what that actually meant.

* * *

Miranda gasped as Ward shut the door behind him in the bunk. She was making the bed and hadn't heard him come in. "Grant!" She put a hand to her chest. "You startled me."

"You're not Miranda."

She furrowed her brow. "Excuse me?"

"I looked up the previous owners of your business. Jessica Powell, born September 5, 1889, died January 5, 1934. Pamela Cornell, born April 7, 1919, died July 7, 1967. Annalee Briggs, born May 8, 1947, died December 9, 1989. Barbara Tate, born August 19, 1968, died March 28, 2003. And now you, Miranda Headly..."

"You took the time to memorize all that?" Miranda rolled her eyes and fluffed her pillow.

"Funny thing is, all documented photographs of the previous owners were redacted by SHIELD."

"And?"

"Were. Until Hydra's exposure. At that time, unredacted documents were released."

Miranda froze on the spot.

"All un-redacted photos are of you."


	8. Chapter 8

Ward stood between Miranda and the door. "So I'll ask again, who are you?"

"I am Miranda."

He shook his head. "Enough of this. Are you Asgardian?"

"No."

"They're the only immortals."

"A: That you know of and B: I'm not one of them."

Ward stopped. "That we know of."

Miranda muttered under her breath. "Look, I'm Miranda. I just carry a legacy of beauty, I guess."

"That's a load of crap and you know it."

"Grant, I'm not going to indulge this fantasy. If there was something different about me, wouldn't Agent Simmons have seen it when she did my checkup?"

That gave him pause. Without another word, he turned and headed for the lab.

* * *

Triplett looked up as Ward entered the lab. Simmons froze on the spot. She still struggled between wanting to run and wanting to kill him.

"Simmons, do you still have your test results from Miranda's check up?" Ward asked without hesitation.

Simmons took a deep breath. "Even if I did, that would be confidential."

Triplett positioned himself protectively between Simmons and Ward. "Something in particular you looking for?"

Ward nodded. "I have reason to suspect Miranda isn't who she says she is."

"You would know," Triplett countered, an obvious edge to his voice.

"I mean, she may not be human."

This stopped Triplett and Simmons.

Ward took a deep breath. "I can't go into it right this moment but I need to know if there was anything unusual about her results."

Simmons gave a slight nod and went to her station to look it up. "All normal."

"Nothing… Asgardian?"

Triplett's eyes snapped to attention. "Asgardian?"

Simmons shook her head. "No. If she were, I would be able to tell in her labs right away."

Ward sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Thank you." He turned and left.

Simmons looked to Triplett. "Not human?"

* * *

Coulson looked up as Ward came into his office. "Sir, we need to talk."

Coulson motioned. "Have a seat."

Ward did, holding a tablet in his hand. "I followed you and Miranda last night. I know that you set her up to take me on."

Coulson didn't even blink. "What would you like to discuss?"

"I don't think she's who you thought she was." Ward offered up the tablet. "I got this intel from Romanoff."

Coulson was a little surprised to hear the Black Widow's name in connection with anything having to do with Ward. He took the tablet. "What am I looking at?"

"I don't think Miranda is human. And according to Simmons' exam, she's not Asgardian but it appears she hasn't aged in at least a hundred years."

Coulson flipped through the unredacted images. "This… this isn't possible…" But there it was. Each image of Miranda through the century. "Did Romanoff state what exactly she is?"

Ward shook his head. "No."

"Did you show this to Miranda?"

"She says it's not her." Ward rolled his eyes.

"Let's try this from a different angle." Coulson set the tablet down. "How does this effect us at all?" He folded his hands on his desk. "I'm not seeing any harm that she's causing."

"She's an unregistered 084, sir."

"You're not SHIELD."

Ward pressed his lips into a thin line, biting back any retort. He wasn't SHIELD. He couldn't deny that.

* * *

Coulson poked his head into Skye's bunk. "I need a favor."

Skye raised her eyebrow. "Oh?"

He handed her the tablet. "I need you to tell me if any info in this file has been doctored. And I need you to keep it between us."

She warily took it. "Is this about… me?"

He shook his head. "No. I'm still looking into those things but this is right in front of us."

Skye nodded. "I'll get on it."

* * *

Fitz was trying to fix the ICER rifle. His fingers could find the tools he needed but something wasn't connecting. Simmons was trying not to watch him, reviewing Miranda's bloodwork for something to do. But her eyes kept drifting over to him. Besides his obvious physical strain, they had yet to discuss what had happened in the pod.

"Yeah, and you're more than that, Jemma. I couldn't find the courage to tell you. So here, let me show you."

"Bloody hell," Fitz cursed under his breath as he slammed down his screwdriver.

Simmons jumped a little. "Everything well?"

He looked to her. "I just need some air." He stood up, heading towards the door.

"Fitz…" She stopped him with a gentle hand on his arm. "It's going to take time. You're healing."

He didn't look to her. "What if it never comes back, Jemma? What if I'm more useless than a monkey?"

She shook her head. "You're not useless. You're healing," she repeated. "We all have different things that are healing."

His eyes finally rose to meet hers. "You're healing?"

She nodded. "I thought I'd lost you. That hurt more than words can express."

He swallowed, wanting to say something but the words weren't there. He couldn't make them happen. So he just turned back to the door. "I need to get some air."

She let go of him this time.

* * *

Skye knocked on Coulson's door. "Hey, you busy?"

He looked up from his work. "No. How can I help you?"

She shook her head. "The photos weren't doctored. And facial recognition matched every point."

"So she really is over one hundred years old?"

Skye nodded slowly. "It's a trip, man."

* * *

Miranda zipped up the back of her dress. She would be going in herself tonight with Ward by her side to get some intel that Coulson wanted. It was a possible HYDRA informant in a top government position. Most of the senate and house officials that were HYDRA had been apprehended when SHIELD files went public. But there were still those questionable few. And tonight she would be delving into the secrets of one.

Ward was in a tux again. He opened the door. "Ready?"

Miranda nodded and grabbed her clutch. "Let's do this."


End file.
